Every Star, Every Heart
by Kawaii Amethist
Summary: Three stories, three stars, one big dark sky to explore.


"I look up to the stars and I see their dazzling twinkle, like thousands of souls spinning as one in the backdrop of the deep, dark, petrifying, unknown." - Shikon  
  
"I peer up to the sky, and see many stars; I love their glow, like a gathering of fireflies, aglow because of the happiness of being together." - Happun  
  
"As I stand in the midst of the cold night, gazing at the stars, I realize how small and insignificant I am; there are so many stars, how can I stand out?" - Oozokuhana  
  
EVERY STAR, EVERY HEART  
~ Shikon ~  
  
Sipping a cup of instant noodles Mama had bought from the future world, I silently watched Papa train my sister, Inuko. They swords clashed, causing sparks. Their feet danced around the ground like a well-orchestrated ballet. I could tell they were reading each other's movements, picturing where the other would move next. Finally, the dance came to a halt with Inuko stumbling for a split second. It proved critical, as Papa disarmed her. She fell back, sword landing beside her, returning to a state of a normal sword, from a thick, dramatic one.  
  
She sighed, "Darn it, and I so close too!"  
  
"You lasted longer than yesterday," congratulated Papa with a smile, helping her up, "Before you know it, you'll be beating me up like I was a piece of bark!"  
  
Inuko beamed a smile, "Like how Uncle Sess does to you?"  
  
Papa deeply frowned, "What was that?"  
  
"Oh.nothing, nothing at all."  
  
Their banter made me smile, as I slurped the rest of my noodles. "That was very good, Inuko-chan."  
  
Inuko sheathed her blade, and sat beside me, "Thanks, Shikon-chan! Hey, maybe I could try some of my moves on Doku-chan!"  
  
Dokudanteki overheard, as he helped Mama with the laundry, "I'll get you with an arrow before you try anything."  
  
"Is that a threat?" She hissed, scarily excited at the prospect.  
  
Dokudanteki hid among the draped clothes, "N.n.no. Just, you know.sayin' is all."  
  
Doku-chan is very confident in himself and abilities, much like Papa. It can get him into trouble a little too often. However, the prospect of a battle with our over zealous Inuko-chan is a different matter altogether.  
  
"Will you two please calm down," calmly demanded Kyoori, turned away from us, playing a hand-held video game, "I'm almost to the enchanted forest, and am battling a Gorgon Level Sixty. This is an important fight and would appreciate some consideration on my behalf."  
  
Dokudanteki blinked, scratching his head, "He said what now?"  
  
"Your fanboy brother would like you to be quiet while he does battle with the.uh.Groggy Level Seven." explained Mama, as she hung a sheet, feeling silly at what she was saying.  
  
"Gorgon Level Six," corrected Kyoori-chan.  
  
"Right, right."  
  
We had been staying in Kaede-sama's village for a week, resting after yet another journey to power up the Shikon no Tama. It was a well-deserved break, and what made it better was the news ours friends Happun, Kohaku and their parents, and pet were coming for a visit too.  
  
"How long do you suppose it'll take for them to come?" I asked Mama.  
  
Mama thought it over, "Let's see.Sango said in her letter they'd begin five days back from today, so.either this evening or tomorrow."  
  
I beamed a smile, "I look forward to it."  
  
Shippo-Niichan sprang from a nearby tree, "Me too, that Kohaku's excellent at smelling out hot girls!"  
  
Papa's ears twitched with irritancy, "Perverts."  
  
~ Happun ~  
  
"Are there girls yet?" Moaned Kohaku-Niichan, not his usual tough self. He really hates travelling.  
  
Mama huffed, "The term is, are we there yet, and no we are not. Perhaps in a few hours. Honestly, you've become as bad as your father!"  
  
Papa put an arm around Mama, "Now, now, he is becoming a man, we cannot stifle his needs to wander and express his urges."  
  
"There are less embarrassing ways to do so than rubbing the backsides of innocent young girls," countered Mama, "Besides, he's only eleven, he shouldn't even be experiences.urges.at such an age."  
  
"Really?" Papa seemed shocked, "I began when I was three."  
  
Mama coughed, alarmed, "When you were.what?!"  
  
Ignoring the weird conversation, I peered around the field we were passing. It was a normal wheat field, tall yellow grass for miles. Lazily, I swung around my priestess staff, whistling a tune. Kohaku-Niichan kept a distance away from my staff and me. He always thinks I'm going to hit him with it.  
  
"Ouch! Damn it!" Kohaku-Niichan was on the ground. I stopped, and noticed a lump protruding from his head.  
  
"Are you OK, Niichan?"  
  
Kohaku dizzily rose to his feet, "Hap-chan, if you hit me with that thing one more time, I'm gonna."  
  
My eyes watered, I don't like it when he's angry with me.  
  
"I'm gonna." he quietened, clearing his throat, "I'm gonna be a very sad Niichan, do you want that?"  
  
I shook my head, "No! No!"  
  
Papa and Mama peered back, warmly smiling.  
  
I returned to swinging my staff around. Kiara, our cat Youkai protector, walked beside me, giving me a meow of approval, I giggled and hummed some more. Suddenly, my staff slipped from my grip, hovering from distance. "Oh no!"  
  
"Look what you did," sighed Kohaku-Niichan.  
  
Without a thought, I ran after the direction I saw it heading. The others followed me as I ran. Pushing away tall stalks of wheat, I tumbled into a small pond. Frogs leapt around me, on even landed on my head. I giggled, carefully tipping the frog off.  
  
"Hap-chan, are you OK?!" Called out Papa.  
  
I gathered myself, kneeling in the pond, "I'm OK!"  
  
"That's more than I can say for myself!" Came a gruff, hoarse voice.  
  
I searched the pond. On the opposite side was a small old man, a big lump protruded from his head. He glared at me, holding out my staff, "Does this belong to you, little missy?!"  
  
I beamed a wide smile, reaching for it, "Oh yes, thank-you so much for catching it!"  
  
"It caught me, child!" He growled, tossing it to me.  
  
I nervously giggled, "Hap-chan is very.sorry.she is!"  
  
"I bet, stupid brat," he grumbled.  
  
Papa and Mama's heads shot through the wheat.  
  
"I see you got your staff back," said Mama, "and it looks like you caused a casualty.I am ever so sorry sir, my daughter is a little clumsy."  
  
"Mama!" I pouted.  
  
Papa broke through, and helped the gruff old man to his shaky feet. "My name is Miroku, I am a wandering Buddhist monk, if there is any way I can be of assistance, please tell me."  
  
The old man huffed, "Monks can have families now?"  
  
Papa sweat-dropped, "Well, this one does."  
  
"Bouzo," the old man coughed under his breath.  
  
Papa instantly let go of him; he fell to the ground with a loud thud. "Oh.do forgive my clumsiness."  
  
Mama and Kohaku snickered to themselves. Papa helped him up again; "There is a village a few hours journey from here, would you like us to accompany you there? It would be safer for you."  
  
He lazily spat the side, "Since you owe me, bouzo', I will let you."  
  
Papa forced a smile, his right eyebrow twitching, "How kind of you sir."  
  
~ Oozokuhana ~  
  
I sat alone on a barren hilltop, holding my new doll. The wind was a steady blow, my hair barely swayed. I titled my head to see the fluffy white clouds of the clear blue sky. Though no signs were showing yet, I could sense the approach of sunset.  
  
The approach of footsteps tapped at my ears. I twitched them as they came closer, but felt no fear.  
  
"Evening.Mother," I quietly said.  
  
She sat beside me on the hill, a dumb smile on her face. "Isn't it a peaceful afternoon?"  
  
"Why are you asking me a question with such an obvious answer?" I replied, not looking her in the face.  
  
She lightly laughed, "I'm just trying to make light conversation I guess. So tell me, why are you sitting here alone? I thought you'd be bashing Jakken over the head with his staff again."  
  
"I did that two hours ago," I answered, with a lilt of a sigh, "His screams were fun, but then I got bored. I didn't know what else I could do to pass time as we wait for Father, so I came to this spot."  
  
She fell silent, looking up to the sky with me. "Forgive me, Oozokuhana- chan. I have been selfish."  
  
"Excuse me?" I turned to face her.  
  
"Mother has not worked hard enough to give her daughter a sibling, and has not given her opportunity to make friends," she seemed to nearly choke on her words, I didn't understand.  
  
I frowned, hugging my doll tightly, "I don't need friends; one only needs themselves to thrive in the world."  
  
"Does this mean Oozokuhana doesn't need Mother and Father?" She questioned.  
  
"No, I don't need Mother and Father." I smiled, laying my head on her lap, "I want Mother and Father."  
  
She stroked my hair and tickled my dog-like ears as they sat in the midst of the warm afternoon, silently watching the blue-sky burn into a swirl of auburn and rust. Our calm was broken by the yells of that foolish underling, Jakken.  
  
"Rin-Sama!" He yelled, "Sesshoumaru-Sama is returning!"  
  
I propped myself up. We both turned our attention to the East, where we could faintly make out a figure that appeared to be father.  
  
"I sense he is not of good spirits," I told Mother.  
  
She gasped, "Oh my, he didn't destroy that Shadow Youkai!"  
  
"Father failed," I scoffed, "Perhaps he is becoming as weak as his half brother."  
  
Mother frowned, folding her arms, "My dear, we do not say such things. It is both rude and ignorant."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"We are dealing with a Shadow Youkai, it has the ability to manipulate its shape, and carries no odour. For even your father it is a difficult task, do you understand?"  
  
I lowered my head in thought, "I see." There are times when one must accept that they are still a child, with much to learn, now was one of those times.  
  
"Sesshoumaru-Sama!" Bellowed Jakken. "Sesshou - " I heard a loud thud, and looked up. Even from a distance like that I could see Jakken wriggling in pain on the ground from a blow to the head. I allowed a small chuckle to pass my lips.  
  
[Author's Note: This is instalment ONE of THREE, I hope you enjoyed it. If you have any questions, please e-mail me. Also be sure to read "The Royal Flower" and "Kohaku's Little Sister" to further understand the characters at younger stages.] 


End file.
